Noah B Woodworks

I’ve been struggling lately to stay disciplined. I got quite drunk last weekend and have been recovering ever since. It has also been very cold in the mid west, so the prospect of woodworking out in my very cold barn has not been as fun to think about; it’s almost left my subconscious completely. It would probably be wise to use this time to make the shop look better, and do a bunch of quality of life upgrades. I spent some time reorganizing the shop last weekend, which is a good step in the right direction. I learned last winter that wood glue doesn’t work when it is very cold, and it needs to be above 50 degrees to get a joint that you can trust as uncompromised, so there’s that too.

I also need to think about what my goals are. They shift almost quarterly, which is not the best habit to have. I’d like to film videos of projects, at one point I wanted to make chairs, I need to make the center and surround speakers for my brother, and now I’m 3D printing puzzle box mechanisms. If I’d like to film videos of projects, I’d like to reorganize and improve the overall functionality and look of my shop. Organization is everything and my lack of cabinetry looks juvenile on camera. Everything is out and about strewn and/or thrown into corners. Tools, like the bandsaw, need attention and sharpening. During this colder section of the year it would be wise to tackle some of these more mundane and boring tasks. Bottom line is if I want to film, the shop needs to look better and be lit better.

The center and surrounds for my brothers sound system need to wait until it is warmer, so I’m not pressed to finish that anytime soon, but I can get the parts rough cut and the crossovers soldered. I may tackle that at some point this winter. Chairmaking is a phase that I go through when I feel like my woodworking is not soulful enough. Last year I picked up some cool tools for chairmaking, so the next time I’m feeling like making a chair, I’ll be better equipped to do so. The puzzle boxes have been really fun because they’re a purely creative endeavor with meaningful storytelling attached. If I can make a puzzle box with 3D printed and CNC’d parts that’s fairly easy to make, there may be a way to share that with the community. I’d like to start there: Make a puzzle box that has 2-3 steps with 2-3 mechanisms and then grow them larger. It’s no small task as each mechanism needs it’s own design and place in the puzzle.